Gas lighter



April 14, 1970 KARL'ERICH WIEDEN 3,506,388

GAS LIGHTER Filed Aug. 12, 1968 I 2 SheetsSheet 2 14 x a 7 7 39x 40 a Y r FIGS 24 I4 I 3 44 43 INVENI'ZER.

United States Patent U.S. C]. 431-276 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gas lighter which comprises a flint subjected to gas pressure and includes a top cap and a bottom cap, both caps forming a housing. A tank is disposed in the housing and a tank cover is arranged within the tank. An intermediate wall is disposed above the tank cover and below the top cap maintained by spring action in closed position and having bayonet joint slots. A flint engaging wheel is operatively connected with the lighter and is mounted on bearings for an axle carrying the wheel. A plurality of bayonet joint cams is disposed on the bearing of said flint engaging wheel and projects through the bayonet slots. The bayonet joint cams are disposed below the intermediate wall upon passing through the slots and rotation thereof.

The present invention relates to a gas lighter with a flint subjected to gas pressure.

Lighters of this type have the advantage, relative to conventional lighters, in which the engagement of the flint takes place only by a spring force, of a much greater flint length due to the fact that the pressure spring is superfluous, as well as that the adjustment means are no more required. It is difficult, however, to exchange on these lighters a used flint against a new one. For this purpose, it is necessary to dismount the friction edge, for which purpose the friction wheel axle has to be released by using of suitable tools from the wheel holder. This amounts, however, even for a handy layman to an appreciable difliculty, particularly since the insertion of the new flint must be performed by overcoming the high gas pressure effecting the piston.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a gas lighter, wherein a fast and easy exchange of the flint is possible by performing a few manual steps and in particular without the use of any tools or auxiliary means.

The present invention starts out with the concept to provide for the bearing of the flint wheel a particular intermediate member simplifying the manipulation, by providing, in accordance with the present invention, bayonet joint slots in an intermediate wall disposed above the tank cover and a cap maintained by spring action in closed position, through which bayonet joint slots project corresponding bayonet joint cams disposed on the bearing of the flint wheel, which bayonet joint cams lie, after insertion into the slots and rotation thereof, below the intermediate wall.

By such arrangement, a lighter is produced with structurally simple means in which the flint can be exchanged without dismounting of the flint wheel from the bearing. It is merely necessary for this purpose to swing the bearing of the flint wheel which is usable as a gripping member and equipped with a fast closure for the flint chamber and to remove by means of the intermediate member from the lighter housing, which intermediate member operates as a gripping member. The flint tube is then immediately accessible. The used flint can be removed and a new one can be inserted. In spite of the appreciable resistance by the gas pressure a simple insertion of the flint is warranted by the easy handling. Thereafter, the bearing is swung back again into its operative position. The cap which is spring biased, which slides or closes depending upon the structure of the lighter, secures the closing position of the bayonet joint.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a gas lighter by providing an embodiment in which the structural height of the lighter is reduced such, that the intermediate wall is recessed at its bottom face for receiving the bayonet joint cam. The space gained thereby can, however, also be used for an enlargement of the tank volume.

The fast joint closure can be used in accordance with the present invention in the most different types of lighters. In a lighter with a removable cap, the intermediate member is formed as a plate rotatable over the intermediate wall about the flint axis, which plate is provided with a recess for free passing of the burner.

With a snap cover lighter, in accordance with the present invention as intermediate member, lateral, upwardly swingable wind protection walls are provided on the wheel bearing, which wind protecting walls are liftably arrested in their base position between flaps sitting on the housing. A release of the bayonet joint can thus take place, in one case, only upon removal of the lighter cap and in another case upon turning upwardly at first the snap cover and then the wind protector. Since both, the lighter cap and the snap cover are maintained by spring action in their basic position, an automatic release of the bayonet joint is prevented with sufficient safety.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of a first embodiment of a lighter, designed in accordance with the present in vention, part of the outer wall being retained in full;

FIG. 2 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lighter disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section of a second embodiment of the lighter likewise as a vertical section with partly remaining wall;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, however, having an open snap cover; and

FIG. 7 is a part section of the lighter disclosed in FIG. 5 similar to the showing in FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-4, the gas lighter comprises a tank 1 having a tank cover 2. The burner 3 sits in the tank cover 2. The burner 3 projects through an intermediate wall 4 disposed above the tank cover 2. The intermediate wall 4 is connected with the tank 1.

The intermediate wall 4 has on its right side a downwardly directed projection 5 which extends parallel to the tank wall 1' by securing of its position by means of a spring blade 6.

The spring blade 6 has two curved sections 6 and 6". The lower curved section 6' is coordinated to a removable bottom cap 7. The upper curved section 6" penetrates through a window-like opening of the projection 5. This curved section 6" secures the removable cap 10 of the lighter surrounding the lighting mechanism.

In the tank cover 2 is disposed furthermore a tube 11 for the flint 12. The tube 11 receives a freely moving piston 13 which pushes the flint 12 against the friction wheel 14 by using the pressure above atmospheric pressure prevailing in the tank 1. The latter is filled, for instance, with butane or propane gas. The piston 13 has a piston sealing ring 15 which is followed by an annular disc 16 soaked with a sliding material (silicon oil). The annular disc 16 is arranged between the piston 13 and a pressure member 17 receiving the flint, which pressure member 17 enters with a pin 18 centering into the piston equipped with a complementary recess 19. The annular disc 16 is pressed against the tubular Wall by axial pressure. The piston 13 has at its lower end a supporting pin 20.

The flint 12 projects through a bore 21 of the bearing 22 of the igniting wheel. The bearing 22 is widened to form a plate 23 (intermediate member) of merely the size of the intermediate wall 4. Within the range of the bearing 22 are formed to the plate 23 bayonet joint cams 24, which project through bayonet joint slots 25 disposed in the intermediate wall 4 and can be moved by an angular rotation of the plate 23 therebelow. In the present embodiment given by example only, recesses 26 are worked in the bottom face of the intermediate Wall 4, which recesses 26 form shoulders 27, so that in the basic position. a solid superposition of the plate 23 and the intermediate wall 4 is provided. This basic position is secured by a cap moved thereover, which is solidly retained on the lighter body by means of the friction effect produced by the spring 6.

For exchange of the flint it is merely necessary to remove the cap 10 and to swing the plate 23 appearing as an intermediate member about the flint axis xx, until the bayonet joint cams 24 are aligned with the corresponding slots (FIG. 4). The intermediate member serving as a handle is now removable. For the free passage of the burner 3 during the swinging movement, the plate 23 is equipped with a recess 28 which extends still partly into one of the two cheeks 29 of the plate 23. These cheeks 29 form the bearing blocks for the friction wheel axle 30. The new flint is inserted into the bore 21 and is guided into the tube 11 by gripping the intermediate member. The piston 13 being under pressure is thereby moved upwardly. After swinging of the plate 23 into its closing position thereafter the cap 10 can be mounted again.

The cap 10 has an opening 31. A spring biased trigger 32 projects into the opening 31 which starts rotation of the friction wheel 14 and thereby causes the spark formation. The corresponding spring 33 is wound about the axle to which is also secured the trigger 32. The release taltes place by means of a pusher 34. The latter is designed in form of a segment and is mounted for limited rotation. It functions like a fall latch and projects with a nose into a recess 36 provided at the front side of the trigger 32.

The trigger 32 is furthermore provided with a release element 32' for the burner 3 which makes free the latter during the fast upward movement of the trigger 32.

Referring now again to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 5 to 7, a second embodiment disclosed therein uses the same above-described bayonet joint. Accordingly, the same numerals have been applied to the same elements referred to in connection with the first embodiment. In this embodiment, a snap lighter is provided which is equipped with a wind protector 37. The latter is mounted on the friction wheel axle 30 and serves as a handle member (intermediate member) for the operation of the bayonet joint. For opening of the joint after previous high swinging of the lighter cover 38, the Wind protector 37 is swung upwardly such that its wind protector walls 37' are lifted out of the range of two housing flaps 39. Thereafter, the plate 23, which is here formed appreciably shorter, is swingable about the flint axis xx. The further function is the same as disclosed in connection with the first embodiment. The arresting of the closing position provided later again is obtained upon reentering of the protector walls 37 between the flaps 39.

The flaps 39 form simultaneously the bearing blocks for the axle 40 of the snap cover 38. The latter is spring biased in closing direction by engagement of a pressure member 42 biased by a spring 41 outside the dead-point line between the pressure member guide 43 and the axle 40.

The burner 3 is controlled in dependency upon the opening movement of the cover. As a control means, a sweep lever 44 is used, which, on the one hand, surrounds forklike the burner tube 3' and, on the other hand, grips below an annular shoulder of the pressure member 42, which is moved upwardly during opening of the snap cover by a control block 45 of this cover against the effect of the spring. The intermediate wall 4 is equipped with a bearing trough for the sweep lever 44.

In both embodiments, the piston 13 and its pressure member 17, respectively, abuts an upper end member. This end member is formed in the embodiment of FIGS. 14 by the intermediate plate 4 and in the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 5-7 by a cap 46 with simple perforation for the flint 12 and screwed onto the tube 11.

As it is shown in FIG. 4, the wall can be narrowed in a corner to the tank 1 for the formation of a supply chamber 48 for a substitute flint 12. Upon removal of the cap 10, this substitute flint 12' can be removed if required.

I claim:

1. A gas lighter comprising:

a flint subjected to gas pressure,

a top cap and a bottom cap, both said caps forming a housing,

a tank disposed in said housing, a tank cover within said tank,

an intermediate wall disposed above said tank cover and below said top cap maintained by spring action in closed position and having bayonet joint slots,

a flint engaging wheel operatively connected with said lighter and mounted on bearings for an axle carrying said wheel,

a plurality of bayonet joint cams disposed on said bearing of said flint engaging wheel and projecting through said bayonet slots, said bayonet joint cams being disposed below said intermediate wall upon passing through said slots and rotation thereof.

2. The gas lighter, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said intermediate wall has a recess at its bottom face in order to receive said bayonet joint cams.

3. The gas lighter, as Set forth in claim 1, which includes:

an intermediate member comprising a plate rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said flint above said intermediate wall, and

said plate has a recess for free passage of a burner.

4. The gas lighter, as set forth in claim 1, which includes:

an intermediate member comprising lateral, upwardly turnable wind protector walls,

flaps sitting on said housing, and

said Wind protector walls being removably arrested between said flaps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

